This country was founded on dissent and will continue to thrive because there are those who do.
When James Otis resigned his position as the Advocate General of Massachusetts in 1761 he did so knowing that he would be hurt financially. He believed that the use of generalized search warrants by British officials ran counter to the long held beliefs that British citizens were entitled to protection from unbridled government intrusion in their lives. When he resigned, he forfeited the financial interest in a percentage of the value of all goods seized with these writs of assistance. John Adams believed Otis' actions were the spark that lit the slow burning fire of the independence movement.
Embedded in the rights Americans hold dear is the freedom of speech, which like all other Constitutional protections is not an absolute right. Freedom of speech is one of the rights championed in Federalist Essay 10 by James Madison who cautioned against the tyranny of the majority, saying that a minority (read small percentage, not race) voice could be drowned out by being overwhelmed by many louder voices.
Often, that smaller group has something of great significance to convey. Sometimes that lone voice is the one that needs to be heard and those in positions of power want the dissenter silenced. How many in our government would have silenced people like Martin Luther King, Mary Beth Tinker , Senator Margaret Chase Smith ? When the Alien and Sedition Acts were enacted, it was the same James Madison who led the charge against the government's ability to silence dissent when he and Thomas Jefferson worked in tandem to nullify these limits to freedom of speech.
If we allow speech to be silenced because we don't agree with the message the dissenter presents, none of us may have the right to speak our conscience in a public forum. While some view the actions of professional athletes as spoiled and hollow, their ability to express an opinion ought not to be limited. I certainly would not want most people to be the arbiter of whether or not my speech or beliefs are acceptable to them and whether or not I have a right to express those ideas.
The rights in the Constitution only limit the power of the government. Through this limit, all of us have the ability to speak our minds about this movement. If the dissent toward the Star Spangled Banner is so distasteful, move to action. Stop supporting the organization that allows the egregious. If the offense presented is genuine, tell the organization in a manner that is unmistakable. Stop watching. Stop attending. Stop buying licensed merchandise. Unfortunately, for too many people, football is more important than what they claim to be their beliefs.
It is easy to claim outrage about the actions of those who kneel, raise a fist, or offer some other symbolic protest. Those who are protesting have more courage than many who claim the actions are disrespectful to the flag, the country, or individuals. The complainers frequently do nothing productive to effect change. Perhaps it's because complaining is easy and actions take effort and sometimes cause discomfort.
If you are truly upset, do something to show it other than using words that are just as hollow as taking a knee.

I have been taught recently that the optimal position for a tag play is to have a runner coming toward you. Regardless, wherever you take the play there is a chance that the tag will be difficult to see. The wedge, as @UMP45 mentions, minimizes the likelihood of missing the tag.
In the case of a rundown like you mention, if the PU is in fair territory, a swipe tag where F3 is between the umpire and the runner decreases the chances to clearly see a tag. If PU is outside 1B with the runner coming toward the bag, there is a better chance to see that tag and PU would have an opportunity to get a better angle on a play directly at 1B. Being in the wedge allows for adjustments should an unexpected angle develop as well.
When I first started, I learned to stay inside on a play like this, but I have been taking the plays outside and I think I see the play much better.
While this is 4 man, you can see how the positioning allows U1 to see the entire running lane:
https://www.mlb.com/video/cubs-cut-down-perez-in-pickle/c-1824989783?tid=6479266
or
https://www.mlb.com/video/hamilton-scrambles-back-to-first/c-1398430583?tid=6479266

I can't see anything else that might be called. I can see how some might interpret the bottom of his hand motion to be a bounce rather than a stop though. I don't know that I would interpret it as such, but others might.

If you see a tag, call it.
If you don't see a tag, you might still call it. Sometimes you can use all the information available and make a call that fits the stimuli presented. For example, in your rundown situation, had R2 stopped running after what appeared to be a tag, it is reasonably safe to call him out. Conversely, if you think no tag had been applied, you can signal safe and verbalize,"No tag! No tag!" It sounds as though you may have not verbalized your call enough so that everyone concerned could hear it.
The key in all situations is to put yourself in the best possible position to make a call. It seems like you were too close to the play to have a good view of the tag/no tag. One of the axioms of umpiring is angle over distance. If your distance to the play increased while your angle improved enough to see a tag/no tag, you may have been more certain of the call you made.
You might get some distance (and a better view) from the play by backing up toward the middle of the infield rather than being in a position where the runner would be between you and F6.
My .02

Many moons ago hockey changed it's rules to suspend players 10(?) games, fine franchises several hundred thousand dollars, and suspend head coaches for bench clearing brawls. It stopped the nonsense immediately.
Baseball could stop the "fighting" and the silliness of bullpens coming to defend their teammates if it wanted to. My guess is that they don't want to and it will only change when one of it's young stars gets seriously hurt in a WWE style scrum.

Are you dissatisfied with the Diamond? Other than breath-ability, what other concerns might there be?
I, like @LittleBlue and @Thunderheads and other I am sure, put my sweatiest gear - shins, CP, even shoes - in the passenger compartment for the ride home. If any have not yet dried by the time I get home, they go into the basement with the de-humdifier overnight for a more complete drying process. It takes some time, but there is no death rot stank in any of my gear.
I say stick with the Diamond.